UPDATE: Medford condemns hate graffiti on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Monday

Apr 8, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 8, 2013 at 8:17 AM

Medford city officials and religious leaders strongly denounced a series of hateful, anti-Semitic messages and symbols that were found spray-painted across South Medford from Columbus Park to the Tufts Athletic Field on Sunday morning.

Nicholas Iovino/niovino@wickedlocal.com

Medford city officials and religious leaders strongly denounced a series of hateful, anti-Semitic messages and symbols that were found spray-painted across South Medford from Columbus Park to the Tufts Athletic Field on Sunday morning.

“These hateful messages and symbols will not be tolerated in our community,” said Mayor Michael J. McGlynn during a press conference at Columbus Park on Monday morning.

McGlynn said the city would not stand for hateful messages like those found painted across sidewalks, street signs and on public school buildings, including the Columbus Elementary School and Curtis-Tufts Alternative School, over the weekend.

“You have no place in our community,” said McGlynn, addressing those who painted the messages. “Medford is a place of free and open expression, a place of harmony and hard work, a place where people live in tolerance and understanding.”

The hateful graffiti was painted over by the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) employees on Sunday night, and corrections officers from the Middlesex County Sherrif’s Office will help further clean up the graffiti on Tuesday.

However, police are still searching for the perpetrators.

Police Chief Leo A. Sacco Jr. asked for the public come forward with any information that might help them find those responsible for spreading the hateful messages just before Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 8, marking the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Poland in 1943.

“We honestly believe there is someone out there who actually knows who did this, may have even been present and actually realizes that the person who did this was wrong, totally wrong,” said Sacco.

Members of the faith community also appeared at the April 8 press conference to express their solidarity with Medford’s Jewish community and strongly denounce the messages of hate.

“We hope those with courage will stand up and stand for justice and speak out against this sort of bigotry,” said Pastor John Page of Shiloh Baptist Church in West Medford.

Superintendent of Schools Roy Belson said hate crimes that reference a historical genocide are beyond disgusting. He added the biggest thing to learn from the recent acts of bigotry is that there is no room for neutrality when it comes to hate.

“There is no room for indifference because hate can’t exist if people speak out and people show a caring and a commitment to eradicate it,” Belson said.

Rabbi Braham David of Medford’s Temple Shalom on Winthrop Street said while it was tragic to see such hatred displayed on the city’s schools, he is proud to be part of a community that so strongly condemns such acts.

“We’re not naïve enough to think that there will be an end to hate ever, but I just want to give a message to whoever did this that this will only make the city of Medford stronger and it will make our voices louder,” added the city of Medford’s Director of Human Diversity, Diane McLeod.